Commands
Heel
Dog’s head is on your left side and follows your lead when walking, paired with the verbal command “heel”. If the dog breaks the command, a quick easy-walk correction is suggested to get the dog back into their heel.
Sit
Motion with your palm upwards and using the verbal command “sit”, dog is expected to sit no matter their position to you (i.e. in front, behind, across room); Used for socialization with people around campus
Free
Verbal command “Free” said with enthusiasm, Frees the dog from a command they are holding; also used when freeing a dog from a command so they can eat
Roll Over
Hand motion with a finger pointing in the shape of a circle and the verbal command “Roll over”, Dogs rolls on their back and ends in a ‘down’
Come
Dog should come and sit in front of you with the prompt of the verbal comand “Come!”; Goal is for the dog to instantly respond to the come command no matter the environment; Different than other commands because it will always be rewarded with a treat.
Down
Hand motion with a finger pointing towards the ground paired with the verbal command “Down”. The dog should go into a down either in place or where you are pointing.
Stay (Implied)
Not a verbal command; When told a stationary command (i.e ‘sit, ‘down’, ‘stand’), dog is expected to hold the command until told ‘free’ or put into another command.
Side
Dog is prompted to lay on their side from a down, you motion the dog to go into this position by turning your hand from palm up to palm down and paining it with the verbal command “Side”. Dog lays on their side with their head on the ground; helpful for socialization with kids & lots of belly rubs
Shake
Dog puts their paw in your palm (hand is face up) and can be paired with the verbal command “Shake”.
High Five
Dog hits your palm (hand in upright) and can be paired with the verbal command “High Five”.
Hit It
Hand motion of pointing to a handicapped button and saying “Hit It”. Dog hits a handicap button to open a door; can also be taught using post-its.
Drop It
Verbal command of “Drop It”. Dog should drop whatever their holding in their mouth (i.e. ball, toy)
Leave It
Verbal command of “Leave It”. Dog should ignore distraction; can be used when your dog sees another dog
Jump
Verbal command of “Jump” paired with pointing to where you would like the dog to jump onto. Used to get dogs into cars and up onto various surfaces.
Off
Verbal command of “Off” paired with pointing to where you would like the dog to jump off of. Used to get dogs out of cars and off of various surfaces.
Under
Verbal command of “Under” paired with pointing to where you would like the dog to go under and then the dog should go into a down. Used to get dogs under tables in restaurants and desks in classes.
Over
While you are in a seated position with your legs outstretched, you should verbally command the dog with “Over” and point for the dog to walk across your legs and then, while still above your legs, lay down.
Nuzzle
While your arms are crossed and your head is in your arms, use the verbal command “Nuzzle”. The dog should come up to you and put their head in between your arms and try to break them apart. This is used for behavior disruption.
Touch
While your hand palm up on your leg, use the verbal command “Touch”. The dog will put their paw onto your hand, much like a high five or shake.